Need help for my soon to be coop!!

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Hello,
I have purchased 7 hens (5 standards and 2 bantams) that will come in June, and I am looking for a coop to buy because unfortunately my husband is not the best handyman lol and me either (plus i am 9 months pregnant!)
I don't have a huge yard but they will be in an enclosed area plus I will let them explore my yard for a couple of hours (due to my dog
Anyways I saw a couple of them but they seem very small and to be truthful we do not want spend more than $500.The one I am interested on is the CC18 N2 with 2 nesting box at http://www.cconly.com/coop__hutches/chicken_coop
My question is: Will a 53" W x 35.5" H x 33" D too small for all of them?
I am a bit lost and concerned because I want them happy and there is no way we can spend more than $500 knowing we still have to buy the material to build a fence around (hopefully!), so if you could please help me, give me some tips.... I will really appreciate it.
Thanks again.

 

[AlienChick]

A chicken coop does not have to be cute or perfect. All it really needs to be is protection from weather and predators.

The standard size calculation is 4 sq ft per bird.

You can even just get a large dog house and build a fence around that for their protection (or use the chain-link kennels).

Also check out the coop pages here to get some ideas that might work for the non-builder (join the club).

 

[cravenchx]

My neighbor, God rest his soul, had
chicken wire and tarps. His chickens
were fine. So, when I told DH that I wanted
chickens, that was what I kinda expected!
Look at my page and see what I got!

 

[Chemguy]

Using the 4 sq. ft per chicken guideline, you have enough space for three standard sized hens inside of a coop that size. 5 standard plus 2 bantam is pushing it (a lot). Like Alienchick implied, the coop doesn't have to be cute to be functional, but I can understand why you would like a nice coop. Have you looked through the coop examples (tab at top of the page) to see if there might be a larger coop that meets with your needs? That's where I began.

 

[teach1rusl]

The living space of that model is 38 x 35 inches - nesting boxes are never counted in living space because you do not want the chickens living in there pooping them up, and that was 11 inches of the measurement. So it comes down to about 9 sq. feet of indoor living space for 7 chickens.

So no, that certainly does NOT sound like close to adequate space. Some people in year round mild climate areas seem to do okay with as little as 2 sq. ft of indoor space per bird, because their chickens are literally outside from down - dusk every day, every season, including winter. But you're talking barely over 1 sq. ft per bird. I might keep 4 bantams in it, but that would be about it. Always read the measurements closely when you look at those prefab coops.

And of course you would still need a run for them to be out in during the daytime when they're not running about your yard.

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

Thank you so much for your inputs... I finally found something better 5 foot by 6 foot for $400 and free delivery. I am so relieved, however, I am not still 100% sure about the dimensions... I might want it even longer (something like 6 by 6) Anyways I still have to contact another guy (handyman) who could make us a custom one but I don't know the price yet (for the material and labor). As for the chicken run DH might do it and if not I will ask the handyman how much he would charge us. (10 sqft per chicken, right?)
Anyways, thanks again for your help. I love this website!!!!